Visit San Marcos

San Marcos

The department of San Marcos is one of the main borders in the Republic of Guatemala and it is an important commercial area. It is also the gate to Mexico and therefore a place many immigrants stop on their way to the north.

When we speak about San Marcos the first thing you think about is highlands, but in the same department the highest volcano in Central America is found, there are also many coastal places. From one extreme to another, the territory varies a lot and therefore many different natural attractions are located in the region.

With no doubt, San Marcos is a department full of contrasts, not only because of its climate but its culture, in which altitude has a lot of influence. In this area ladinos and mames live together. The mames are descendents of the Mayas and still keep their cultural traditions untouched, which constitute a part of Guatemala’s cultural patrimony.

The department of San Marcos is geographically located in a privileged place, its hypnotic territory presents the large variety of climates the Republic of Guatemala has. In this department a visitor can find coastal beaches at the Pacific Ocean in the municipium of Ocos, up to the cold environment of the Tajumulco volcano, the highest one in Central America. This concentration of climates has a lot of influence in the cultural expressions, and in this sense, San Marcos is a historical elements interesting diversity.

Since the department in the frontier with Mexico, the Ayutla and Tecun Uman cities, as well as El Carmen, which are the three borders with one of the most global markets of the world, makes that population in all these places have a wide commercial culture in addition to be the gate for all immigrants who dream to find a better world in the north.

From the social point of view, indigenous and cultural traditions are blended, and from the religious side, Mayan and Christian traditions can be seen in corn cultivation even though the most productive one is coffee production.

San Marcos is the department in which the Tajumulco volcano (the highest one in the Central America) is located; it reaches 4,200 meters over sea level of altitude. Also, the Tacana volcano is located in this department, with an altitude of 4,092 meters. There is a third volcano; its name is San Antonio with an altitude of 2,750 meters over sea level.

At the northern side of the department you can watch the Cuchumatanes Mountain chain, on the west the Chiapas valleys and the amazing depression of the Grijalva river; to the east the Guatemalan complex mountains, and to the south the Pacific Ocean, El Tumbador valley, and the Costa Cuca coastal region.

Local fairs
San Marcos, April 25; San Antonio Sacatepequez, January 17; Comitancillo, May 3; San Miguel Ixtahuacan, September 29; Concepción Tutuapa, December 8; Tajumulco, Nuevo Progreso; December 12; El Tumbador, January 6; San Jose El Rodeo, March 19; Catarina, November 2; San Pablo, January 25; El Quetzal, November 13; La Reforma, December 31; Pajapita, December 7; Ixchiguan, January 30; San Jose Ojetenam, January 19; San Cristóbal Cucho, January 25; Esquipulas Palo Gordo, January 15; and San Lorenzo, August 10.